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We'll be honest: there are plenty of (as in far too many) poker websites on the 'net. You could probably find what you need to know, eventually. We just happen to have collected the most important information all in one place: how to play poker, how to play better poker, and where to go to play online poker in the best possible environment.

Poker may be the main reason that online gambling became a possibility.

It’s true; when millions of people discovered Texas Hold’em (and especially when one online player took his game all the way to the top!), the Internet gambling phenomenon kicked into high gear. Without online poker, this website probably wouldn’t be here.

In the past decade, the Internet went from a place where you could barely get around safely (let alone actually do anything fun) to a place where your biggest problem was too many good choices.

Sure, that’s a great problem to have, but you want to spend your time playing poker — not searching and sorting through everything that’s out there. That’s why we’re here; we’ve seen the worst as well as the best, and we’re happy to provide you with the best examples of the best. We guarantee: just go to one of our recommended sites (Full Tilt poker or Pokerstars are perfect places to start), deposit some money to get started, and you’ll not only reap the bonus benefits, but you’ll never have to worry again about where to find the perfect game of poker.

Or perhaps you’re a little lower on the learning curve? That’s no problem either. We give you the basics and more — a page for basic poker rules, a few pages on the different poker games that you’ll find at online poker sites, and plenty of online poker hints, tips, and strategies to kick-start your winning streak. You could go from a clueless fish to a World Series of Poker Tournament Player just from the information on our site…as long as you take that information and play some poker on our recommended sites (which is what you wanted to do all along, right?).

And just in case we missed something that you needed to know: drop us a line, tell us about it, help us serve you better.

Due to current US jurisdictions, all deposits from US players are closed.

Online Poker News

We’ve seen several reports in the online gambling press about the Republican gains of the 2010 midterm elections, and what it is likely to mean for progressive online gambling legislation. Now it seems the mainstream press is taking notice, as centenary newsgroup UPI (United Press International) has published an article entitled “Online Gambling not a good bet.”

Perhaps the first news article with that title to NOT be an anti-gambling editorial, the piece reiterates the strikes against the possibility of Internet gambling expansion in 2011 and beyond.

Obviously, the central issue is that online gaming’s biggest friend, Rep. Barney Frank, has been replaced by Rep. Spencer Bachus III as Chairman of the House Financial Services Committee. The Alabama representative is markedly anti-gambling, even compared to his fellow Christian Conservatives.

This makes 2010’s strategy of ‘wait and see’ an obvious loser in hindsight. We’ll try to avoid saying we told you so. After all, the Financial Services Committee (and the US government as a whole) did have a number of urgent matters to deal with in 2010. Unfortunately, the window for progress in the area of online gambling was clearly closing, and the applicable bills were still allowed to languish on the shelf.

We’re not inclined to celebrity gossip, but the rumor is so odd that it caught out eye: is poker legend Phil Hellmuth severing his long-standing ties with online poker room Ultimate Bet so that he can appear on Dancing with the Stars?

Well, we can verify half of the story, at least: Hellmuth is indeed leaving Ultimate Bet, as is fellow UB alumni Annie Duke. We know that you want the gory details, but so far nothing has surfaced to indicate that these are anything but mutual decisions between professional people.

Duke seems to be looking at different opportunities altogether, but Hellmuth himself acknowledged that both Full Tilt and Poker Stars have shown interest in working with him. So obviously he hasn’t written off a job in online poker brands altogether.

Still, what are we to make of the Dancing with the Stars portion of the rumor? A December Twitter from Hellmuth read “OMG! Phil Hellmuth (me!) on ‘Dancing with the Stars!’ Outrageous! Might make a fool out of myself on worldwide television one more time.”

So sure, it’s a possibility. It could also be a joke, or idle talk, or a vague plan that never amounts to anything. But it’s almost certainly not the reason why Phil left Ultimate Bet.

Cake Poker has teamed up with the Atlantis Group to create the first-ever US-based online poker network.

Players will be able to enjoy a fully-legal, fully-regulated US-based online poker experience at tribal casinos in over 30 states. While not providing some of the more convenient and flexible benefits of online gambling, the Tribal Gaming Network (TGN) is nevertheless a significant step for those who advocate a more reasoned and tolerant approach to gaming rules.

In addition to the legal and political issues, the deal provides some revenue for tribes and states hard-hit by the current economic climate.

Atlantis CEO Donald L Bailey stated that the TGN “is a significant milestone for ATIG and Cake, and will become an immediate economical shot in the arm for Tribes and states facing deficits nationwide.”

Regular readers will no doubt recognize Cake Poker; we’ve been big fans from the time they were still a small network struggling for a share of the online poker business. Those days may be long past, but Cake Poker never lost its player-focused approach.

While the current Cake Network will remain separate from the Tribal Gaming Network (i.e., accounts are not directly transferable), anyone familiar with the high-quality online environment of Cake Poker or Doyle’s Room should feel right at home.